1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to copying machine control apparatus, and particularly to copying machine control apparatus for transmission and the like of data for controlling copying machines to a centralized control unit on the center side.
2. Description of the Related Art
A system for management of a plurality of copying machines is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,834. In the disclosed system, various operating data of the copying machine such as a total number of copies, machine malfunctions and amounts of remaining copy sheets and toner are transmitted to a computer through a communication network. The computer processes the transmitted data and feeds back to the copying machine instructions.
A jam in a copying machine is a trouble which is likely to happen at a certain frequency even when the copying machine is normally operating. Accordingly, only by simply transmitting occurrence of a jam, it is difficult to determine as to whether or not it is a trouble requiring a measure such as dispatch of a serviceman.
When transmission to the control center is implemented through a general line, the line is occupied even when it is not urgent, which is not preferable.
In the above system, trouble detection is made in an operating condition of a copying machine.
That is, a trouble is detected with a copying machine set in a certain operating condition (the operating condition is defined by a type of the trouble) by operation such as ON of a main power supply and ON of a switch for commanding copying operation.
Accordingly, even when another operator operates the copying machine without recognizing that the copying machine is in a trouble condition, the same trouble is detected again and transmitted to the control center.
Also, even when a serviceman or a user is repairing the copying machine in order to recover the trouble, the trouble may be detected to be transmitted to the center.
Such transmission is not only useless but also not preferable because a general line is occupied in connecting the copying machine and the control center by the general communication line.
On the other hand, in a system for centralized control in which controlling data for a plurality of copying machines are transmitted to a centralized control unit at a control center through a communication network, connection with the centralized control unit can not be made in some cases.
For example, it occurs in such cases as follows; (1) transmission (center cell) from a large number of copying machine control apparatus overlap, so that the communication line (a communication terminal device) on the control center side is occupied, or (2) an abnormality takes place somewhere on the line connecting a copying machine control apparatus and a centralized control unit (a communication terminal device on the copying machine control apparatus side, a communication network, a communication terminal device on the centralized control unit side, etc.), or (3) an abnormality takes place in a copying machine control apparatus.
In the case of (1), by repeating re-dialing (to call the control center side again at a time set on the basis of a predetermined rule), connection with the center side is eventually made to enable necessary processes.
In cases where connection with the control center side can not be made due to some abnormality as the cases of (2) and (3), however, connection can not be made permanently if some measure is not taken, so that necessary processes can not be taken. The necessary process includes, for example, a process for repairing a trouble when a trouble occurs in a copying machine.
Accordingly, a user may believe that data required in copying machine control is automatically transmitted to the control center and may act on the basis of the misunderstanding. Therefore, for example, when a trouble occurs, it is possible to considerably damage the copying machine by leaving the trouble as it is.
In a copying machine control apparatus for transmitting controlling data of a copying machine to a center, various kinds of data of the copying machine are collected on line.
This is done in order to enable quick measure on the control center side when some abnormality occurs in a copying machine, or in order to enable counting the number of sheets of copy data for each copy process as a base of charge asking, for example.
Accordingly, for example, when a copying machine control apparatus stops operating due to a trouble in a power supply circuit, the data can not be collected during the stop, and there is an inconvenience that an appropriate measure on the center side can not be taken accordingly.